ON COMICS CHARACTERS
ON SCI-FI FRANCHISES
ON GRANT MORRISON
ON TV AND MOVIES
OTHER BOOKS
DOCUMENTARY FILMS
Magazine Archives for:
November 2012
Everything’s (Not) Fine, Honey: Finding Identity in Hard Boiled
In dystopian literature things generally go out with a bang, a revolution, a euthanasia, but not so in Hard Boiled.
Baby Mama Drama: The Feminist Changes in Talia al Ghul
For years, the character of Talia Al Ghul was essentially Batman’s version of a Bond-girl.
Deadpool #1: Escapism for Absurdists
On November 7th, the latest volume in the continuing saga of Marvel’s Merc with the Mouth hit the shelves with “Marvel Now!” Deadpool #1, and the issue is wonderful.
Why I’m Down on Moffat
I love Doctor Who, but I’ve soured on Steven Moffat. I really didn’t want to write this, because I’ve really enjoyed Moffat’s Doctor Who. But I’ve long had deep reservations about it. I’ve kept these thoughts to myself,… [more]
On The Phoenix: The Weekly Story Comic
The Phoenix is so purposefully targeted at such a specific audience that it can be hard for the rest of us to remember that it exists.
On the Moore / Morrison Feud, Literary Borrowings, and the Anxiety of Influence
It’s long been no secret, to those who paid attention, that Alan Moore and Grant Morrison — arguably the medium’s two most influential writers — don’t get along. But it’s been a slow simmer of… [more]
Diagram for Delinquents Update #28: The Not So Garden (of Eden) State
I am a New Jersey guy. Ever since I began making documentaries I have investigated the obscure, forgotten, unexplored, but intriguing histories of the Garden State. With my last two feature length films I profiled… [more]
Jamie Foxx, Electro
I know I’m a little late piping up about this, but there’ve been some major shake-ups on the Spider-Man movie front.
The Lighter Seid of the Dark: Q&A with the Sovereign of Apokolips
Darkseid turned 42 years old this month but his unique Omega brand still gains attention to comic book aficionados and critics alike.
Shoot First, Shoot Second, Shoot a Bit More, and then Stab Somebody: The Jason Todd Investigative Methodology
Of all the wards that Bruce Wayne took into his home as the sidekick Robin, the most hated would almost unanimously be Jason Todd.
Augmenting the Reality of Sequential Art
Sometimes I feel the world we live in is a tad boring.
On Harker: The Book of Solomon, with an Interview with Writer Roger Gibson
The most radical propositions don’t always arrive with their trousers around their ankles, flashing their behind to the bourgeoisie while thrilling culture’s gatekeepers with headline-generating, career-making manifestos.
Diagram for Delinquents Update #27: I’m Interested in Some Comics
I apologize that I didn’t make the Sunday update. I was away at a conference in Boston and didn’t arrive home until about 6PM on Sunday and just couldn’t bring it all together in time.… [more]
Miracleman, Chapter 8 Concludes
We’ve begun discussing chapter eight (parts one, two, three, four, and five) of Alan Moore’s Miracleman, illustrated by Alan Davis. Today, we conclude our exploration of that chapter.
Superheroes Emerge in the Face of Sandy
The obvious choice for me this week, in my unending and inane quest to compare everything that happens in my life or in my brain to something I’ve seen happen in a comic, would be… [more]
Superhero Versus Superzero
Imagine being back in elementary school, wearing a well-loved shirt with a classic 1940-esque Batman symbol.
Bromancing: the Extracurricular Partnership and Relationship of Batman and Superman
The last son of Krypton is alone.
“A Halo of Flies” and “The Brimstone Ballet”: Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing, Issues #30 and #31
Saga of the Swamp Thing #30 “A Halo of Flies” Cover date: November 1984. Writer: Alan Moore. Artists: Stephen Bissette and Alfredo Alcala. Colorist: Tatjana Wood. Letterer: John Costanza. Editor: Karen Berger.
On Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, by Sean Howe
Sean Howe begins his history of Marvel Comics in 1961 with publisher Martin Goodman ordering Stan Lee to produce a knock-off of rival DC’s new and successful Justice League of America.
Miracleman, Chapter 8: The Flashback Pages
We’ve begun discussing chapter eight (parts one, two, three, and four) of Alan Moore’s Miracleman, illustrated by Alan Davis. Today, we continue our exploration of that chapter.
Diagram for Delinquents Update #26: We Just Don’t Know
As previously mentioned, one particular source will be a sort of “star” in our documentary. That source is the transcript and recording of the Hearings Before The Subcommittee To Investigate Juvenile Delinquency Of The Committee… [more]
Critiquing the Robins of the New 52
It’s Saturday, Halloween weekend in New York City, and I’ve elected to stay inside all day and write about super-heroes.
Three Surrogate Wise Men: The Father Figures of the Batman
Many of our comic book heroes are orphans.
Fall of the Spot; Rise of Coyote
Spot. The Spot.
The Older Generation’s Farewell: The Hunger Dogs (Part 3)
As we have seen, in The Hunger Dogs, the graphic novel in which Jack Kirby resolved his “Fourth World” saga, Kirby’s optimistic vision of the early 1970s turned dark and ominous.